WPS Controversy... bringing the sport into disrepute??

[GTRMagic]

A press release borrowed from RaceNews....

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Subject: V8 Supercars: GORE CRITICAL OF RACE OFFICIALS … WILL INSTALL TURBO NEXT START (11058)

WPS Racing
Aug 15 2004
GORE CRITICAL OF RACE OFFICIALS … WILL INSTALL TURBO NEXT START


WPS Racing team owner Craig Gore delivered a broadside to race officials after team driver David Besnard was sensationally punted to the rear end of the field for the second of the two-race V8 Supercar Championship Series event at Oran Park today.

Gore accused officials of incompetence and gross inconsistency in imposing a 25-second penalty on Besnard following the first race.

It resulted in Besnard being relegated from 15th to 26th on the grid for race two.

“They are incompetent as there is no consistency to any of the decisions they make,” said Gore.

“I have made a lot of comments about the administration of this sport and this again shows that race car people should not administer themselves.

“If I was to look at a book that gives prescribed penalties for race incidents I would be looking at a blank piece of paper.

“Unless you are a contender in the championship the penalties appear to be excessively harsh.

“You can have an illegal set up yet you get a slap on the wrists and are allowed to keep your points.

“For Sandown I’m installing twin turbos, nitrous, traction control with a new chassis and spring set up in a Toyota painted to look like a Ford. When I win the race I’m going to thank everyone for their support and pay a $5000 fine and keep my points.”

Gore said the failure of race officials to properly hear his case before the start of the second race effectively ended his team’s chances of a good result.

“It was at the race track before the race started that this matter needed to be fully considered,” said Gore.

“Amazingly, they weren’t prepared to deal with our appeal at the race track.

“We had to cop the penalty and then pay a $10,000 fee for them to hear our appeal on Thursday.

“It’s a joke.”
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Now having just signed on as a Ford factory supported team, does this sound like the act of a prim and proper business professional?

As right as he may be, Mr Gore has an interesting way of showing it. If the appeal is heard, and WPS are successful, then what is the resolution?? They cant rerun the race.....

The pic below questions who has the most passion

[Sol]

I am surprised at how outspoken Mr Gore is for someone so new to the championship and motorsport in general. Do these comments gain you respect when you are a rookie team owner?

[peckstar]

yes improves my opinion of him

its all true what he said

[worried]

Hmmm COchranes certainly put on a bit of weight lately - cholesterol? Blood pressure? Diabetes? Heart??

As for Gore - how long has he been in business? Just because he hasn't been involved in motor sport (well V8's) for long does not mean he doesn't have the business skills he needs to succeed.

Truth and honesty usually go a longggg way.

[GTRMagic]

A session in the Chinese courts in the coming weeks will soon fix that....

[Morris 1100]

There is a brave man..... Having a spit at the world spitting champion!

[Just Do It!]

Craig Gore earns millions more a year than most of us. You would think he might know a thing or two.

Fundamentally, he is probably right. As a line from a famous Neil Diamond song goes: "It wasn't so much the words as such, it was the way they were sung"

But then again, in the recent V8X magazine article on WPS, Mr Gore tells it how he sees it.

It's a fresh injection into the series

[GTRMagic]

Originally posted by Just Do It!
It's a fresh injection into the series

Dont say that at olympics time

[v8man]

Well said Mr Gore, the penaties do not fit the crimes. One Ford at Queensland and one Holden at Winton are found in breach of the rules and get a $5000 fine. JB misses the weighbridge at end of qualifying - result rear of grid race 1, Besnard penalied for race one infringement - result rear of grid race 2, weekend for both cars stuffed. We have a new player in Mr Gore putting money into the sport and the officals are saying the established guys can break the technical rules but you have to suffer for minor breaches with no recourse until after the penalty has been served.
Good on you Mr Gore

[pete55]

Is Craig Gore bringing the sport into disrepute or is he telling it like it is. People or Organizations who try to shut people up usually have something to hide or at least try to hide their inadequacies.

[GTRMagic]

I am just disappointed I didnt get a pic of the full time chopper pilot in the shot....

[jetsetter]

I've been critical of Gore since he entered the championship but full credit to him for having the guts to speak his mind about the idiots running the show.

[TheMan]

The penalty was for the team ignoring a black flag. A very serious breach of the rules and a 25 sec penalty is very kind to Besnard who could have got the whole fourty. Gore should shut his mouth, his team is not beyond the rules either.

[Morris 1100]

But it should have been the meatball flag and not the black flag!

[TheMan]

The meatball flag has a similar meaning as the blck flag except it is the mechanical flag. Still you cant ignore it, The flag was shown to Besnard and they ignored it. Serves them right. maybe they may be smarter next time.

[Morris 1100]

Yes, rules are made to be obeyed but that works both ways.

If this is the best form of motorsport in the country we should have the best officials.

[TheMan]

No sorry you all have it wrong. Its not the officials that make the rules, they are just there to enforce them. Pick on the people that make the rules not the officials who enforce them. Bit like the Police department really. Gore should know that his team is not beyond the rules. All teams are dissapointed with Larry and Ambros' decision, but to shoot your mouth of when you ae wrong also is also wrong.

[bloggs]

Hmmm COchranes certainly put on a bit of weight lately - cholesterol? Blood pressure? Diabetes? Heart??

Hey Worried, its nothing to worry about, Its only his money belt under his shirt.

[worried]

Originally posted by TheMan
No sorry you all have it wrong. Its not the officials that make the rules, they are just there to enforce them. Pick on the people that make the rules not the officials who enforce them. Bit like the Police department really. Gore should know that his team is not beyond the rules. All teams are dissapointed with Larry and Ambros' decision, but to shoot your mouth of when you ae wrong also is also wrong.

In one way you are correct, the other wrong.

The officials don't make the rules - but they DO interpret them - and they do so inconsistently.

But one thing you have missed is this section from WPS's first release:

But before he arrived at pit lane the panel broke away from the car. An official in pit lane, when told the panel had broken away, indicated to WPS team management that he was clear to continue.

He is claiming that they were told by an official that because the panel had come off, they were no longer required to pit.

And his second release is against the fact that they refused to hear an appeal at the track.

However - in what other category is the BLACK flag used for this type of vehicle problem?

The answer is none - not even PROCAR - the meatball is used in every other category.

Obviously the V8 stewards have not heeded the appeal tribunal findings of them being incompetent from last Decembers Eastern Creek Skaife/Ingall incident where this type of attitude was specifically raised by them.

[Onlooker]

Originally posted by TheMan
The meatball flag has a similar meaning as the blck flag except it is the mechanical flag. Still you cant ignore it, The flag was shown to Besnard and they ignored it. Serves them right. maybe they may be smarter next time.

Rick kelly iognored a flag and didn't get a 25 's penalty
he is right it is the inconsistancy that is the issue, that said the asumption is that besnard had the awareness to link his car number shown next to a blag flag and was able to join the dots
1 :b
his crew either ignored the advice from AVESCO and and failed to inform him
2 : his radio was not working
3 they decided it was **** and told him to press on
4: nobody really pays attention to the flags being waved

He should just pay $38/point to get he lost points restored like CPR did and forget it

[worried]

Originally posted by bloggs
Hey Worried, its nothing to worry about, Its only his money belt under his shirt.

Thought his wife had control over that?

[Kerri]

Totally agree with you Worried Onlooker!!!!

[TheMan]

Thank God none of you here are running the series, you all have blinkers on. If you really think that Gore is correct then think again. If he or any of his crew knew the rule book he would have made sure he bought his car in. If he reads the rule book, unfortunately once you have been given a meatball flag you must, regardless of the circumstances, report to pitlane for a steward to inspect the damage and deem it safe to continue, regardless whether the part has fallen of the car.Ask Kim Jones the same happened to them at New Zealand. So theres your precedence if you really whant one. Once again the stewards only enforce rules that are already there. Dont blame them for what is going on. I and many others see this team as a joke and this sort of behaviour from its principal is only a confirmation of that. Also all of the points you guys bring up have absolutely nothing to do with meatball flags. They are used in all forms of the sport and if any of you checked, they have the same meaning in all forms of the sport. The rules are simple and clear, Disobey Black flags and you will be penalised.

[Boss330]

Originally posted by Sol
I am surprised at how outspoken Mr Gore is for someone so new to the championship and motorsport in general. Do these comments gain you respect when you are a rookie team owner?

Pity there isn't more like him!!!!!

[1200Datto27]

TheMan, The issue that Mr Gore has with all of this is that they where told (rightly or wrongly)by a pit lane official that once the offending item had fallen off of the car, then they did not need to pit the car. He then appealled the decision to relegate the car to the back of the grid, but was told that it had to wait until during the week.

And that was what really annoyed him, that his drivers weekend was ruined by these decisions, but even if he wins on appeall, there is no way that they can have positions reinstated.

If you compare the penalties handed out to JB and DB, and the damage that they did to each drivers weekend, to the penalties given to MA and SR, I think that he has a fairly legitimate gripe.

I also believe that the stewards may have been in the wrong by deferring judgement on the intial appeall (I believe that WPS was handed the decision, without having a chance to defend themselves as well) until after the race.